North Hertfordshire Museum

North Hertfordshire Museum The award-winning North Hertfordshire Museum is open to the public six days a week (Tuesday to Sunday)

Learn a little bit more about the tutors behind the upcoming interactive dance talks, Steppin' On The Blues for Black Hi...
06/09/2026

Learn a little bit more about the tutors behind the upcoming interactive dance talks, Steppin' On The Blues for Black History Month.

🔹 Korantema Anyimadu and Aletheia Mashiri will be leading 'The Roots of Vernacular Jazz' session on Sat 10 Oct, 12.30pm-4.30pm. This workshop will be an exploration of African American Vernacular Jazz dance and its influence on popular dances of the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s, including Lindy Hop, Jitterbug, Jive and Swing.

Korantema is an African American Vernacular Jazz teacher, Lindy Hopper and dance artist with extensive experience teaching and performing across the UK and internationally. She is a member of Cookie and Her Black Mambas and former co-leader of the acclaimed UK dance troupe The London Starlings.

As a dance artist with Sadler's Wells East, she delivers inclusive dance programmes in schools and community settings and is the recipient of an Arts Council England Developing Your Creative Practice grant focused on African American Vernacular Jazz and Lindy Hop education. In her professional life she’s the senior curator at the Horniman Museum.

Aletheia is an educator, community champion and founder of Getting Rooted C.I.C. She is a member of the North Hertfordshire African and Caribbean Community. A community gardener, permaculturalist and jazz and swing dance enthusiast, she is passionate about bringing people together through culture, learning and community engagement.

Read all about these interactive dance talks, and find out where to book by following this link 🔗
https://northhertsmuseum.org/event/steppin-on-the-blues-for-black-history-month-interactive-dance-talks/

It was a chilly old day when this photograph was taken, back in around 1920, these workmen have taken precautions and ...
04/09/2026

It was a chilly old day when this photograph was taken, back in around 1920, these workmen have taken precautions and are wrapped up in scarves and multiple layers for a busy day ahead.

They have taken a moment to stop and take a photo of themselves at their worksite, Purwell Lane in Hitchin, behind them you can see the street begin to take shape with a set of new houses that the men are building.

This week we are looking at a watercolour of The New Found Out pub by the artist Karl Wood. Karl Wood is most associat...
02/09/2026

This week we are looking at a watercolour of The New Found Out pub by the artist Karl Wood.

Karl Wood is most associated with the midlands, he was born in Derbyshire in 1888 and moved to Gainsborough where he worked as a teacher, musician and artist. He spent most of his artistic life travelling around the UK by train and bicycle with an aim to publish a book of watercolour sketches of windmills. He created over 1200 sketches of windmills for his work, which was still unpublished when he died in 1958. But whilst his focus was windmills, he also captured other scenes.

The artist created at least fifteen works while travelling in the North Hertfordshire District. Our area was one that he visited a number of times judging by the differing dates of his works. A common focus of his practice, when not looking at windmills, were places of local interest like churches, pubs and notable old buildings. In his fifteen works held at our museum he has captured local sites of interest in towns and villages such as Hitchin, Royston, Ickleford and Saint Ippolyts and across the next few months we will share these with you.

Karl likely caught the eye on his visits to our area owing to his eccentric fashion sense. According to the blog about him by Tony Shaw, Karl wore a ‘trilby, a bow tie, possibly pink with green dots, with a green shirt and plum-coloured waistcoat, and perhaps a dark yellow jacket and green corduroy trousers.’

For more information about Karl Wood and his fascinating life Dr Tony Shaw has a detailed blog called ‘Windmill Wood: A Biography of Midlands Artist Karl Salsbury Wood’ that you can check out.

29/08/2026

Museum District Treasures ep. 8 💰

Ever wondered what happened to waste before modern plumbing? 🚽🤔 Education Officer and Costume Curator, Cas Sanders is here to answer the questions you didn't know you had!

In this episode, we dive back into the museum archives to show off two fascinating medieval weeing pots. These unique vessels were standard household items from the 11th right up to the 17th century! 🏺💦

Think medieval folks just threw their business out the window? Myth busted! 🛑 Cas explains why soaking passersby wasn't the norm - and how your urine was actually a valuable commodity you could sell to others! 💰

This surprising look at historic human biology ties in perfectly with the 'Blood and Bone' exhibition currently showing at North Herts Museum (until 20 September). 🩸🦴

We are currently sorting through over 1 million incredible objects like these as we prepare to move to our new store. Come and discover more bizarre and brilliant pieces of our local history by planning a visit! 📆

Head over to the North Herts Museum website to see the pots up close and track them on the District Treasures map 👇
www.northhertsmuseum.org/north-hertfordshire-museum/collections/museum-stores

🎼 A first for North Herts Museum, we've got two engaging, interactive dance talks scheduled for the coming months and go...
29/08/2026

🎼 A first for North Herts Museum, we've got two engaging, interactive dance talks scheduled for the coming months and good news, no dancing experience is required!

Participants are welcome to join in as much or as little as they wish and all activities can be adapted for those who prefer to remain seated.

During these sessions you'll discover the history, music and social impact of African American and Black British dance traditions. led by experienced dance artists and educators you'll be looking at a wide variety of different dances and music including:

1⃣ Session one- The Root of Vernacular Jazz (Lindy Hop, Jitterbug, Jive and Swing.)

2⃣ Session two- From Swing to the Black British Experience (Swing, Ska, Reggae, Soul, Lovers' Rock, House and Jungle).

Click the link below to read more 🔗
https://northhertsmuseum.org/event/steppin-on-the-blues-for-black-history-month-interactive-dance-talks/

Who else remembers Nicholls the drapers shop on Bancroft in Hitchin? Here is a photo of the shop, probably dating to t...
28/08/2026

Who else remembers Nicholls the drapers shop on Bancroft in Hitchin?

Here is a photo of the shop, probably dating to the early-mid 1980s. To help give you your bearings, just on the right of the shot is Safeway supermarket which is now occupied by Poundland.

Artists Wanted 🎨We’re looking for local artists in North Herts and the surrounding areas who are interested in running w...
27/08/2026

Artists Wanted 🎨

We’re looking for local artists in North Herts and the surrounding areas who are interested in running workshops at our museum in 2027!

We want a broad range of workshops for our 2027 plan, so whether you have an established following or are looking to build an audience we want to hear from you.

Drop us an email to discuss your ideas at [email protected] and feel free to ask us any questions you may have.

Here’s a lovely programme for a theatrical production of Rose Marie, from our archives.The operetta style musical has ...
26/08/2026

Here’s a lovely programme for a theatrical production of Rose Marie, from our archives.

The operetta style musical has music by Rudolf Firml and Herbert Stothart and Lyrics by Otto Harbach and Oscar Hammerstein II. The story plays out in the Canadian Rocky mountains and tells the tale of Rose Marie who loves a miner. Jim Kenyon the miner, Rose Marie’s love interest, is falsely accused of murder.

Rose Marie was premiered on Broadway in the USA in 1924 and then at London's West End in 1925. This programme connects to our very own Hitchin Thespians who performed the show at The Hermitage Cinema, in Hitchin, in 1950.

The six-week Poetry in Depth course kicks off next week, you can attend each session individually (it's on every Wednesd...
25/08/2026

The six-week Poetry in Depth course kicks off next week, you can attend each session individually (it's on every Wednesday!) but if you'd like to take advantage of the 'Whole Course Ticket' make sure to book while it's still available ✒️

Run by Shout or Whisper's Tom, each week in this course you'll be focusing on different aspects of poetry, a perfect introduction for aspiring poets wanting to take their work to the next level!

Each session will be a safe space full of supportive, like-minded creatives. If this sounds like something you'd be interested in follow the link to learn more https://northhertsmuseum.org/event/poetry-in-depth-getting-started/

Address

Brand Street
Hitchin
SG51JE

Opening Hours

Tuesday 10:30am - 4:30pm
Wednesday 10:30am - 4:30pm
Thursday 10:30am - 4:30pm
Friday 10:30am - 4:30pm
Saturday 10:30am - 4:30pm
Sunday 11am - 3pm

Telephone

+441462474554

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